Air Quality and Home Safety in the Madison Area

Air Quality Right Now

Categories from EPA's AirNow; advice for sensitive groups from Wisconsin DHS.(AirNow)(Wisconsin DHS)

• DNR measures Madison's air at two sites: Madison East on Hoard Street (ozone April to mid-October, plus fine particles) and University Avenue (fine and coarse particles, year-round).(Wisconsin DNR)
• Ozone is mainly a warm-weather problem, worst along Lake Michigan rather than in Dane County. Fine particles, including wildfire smoke, can be a problem any time of year.(Wisconsin DHS)
• Advisories: DNR issues one when air reaches orange and is expected to stay there for several hours.(Wisconsin DNR) Sign up for alerts by email or text for Dane County or statewide.(Wisconsin DNR)
• An N95 mask filters fine particles but not ozone.(Wisconsin DHS)

Wildfire Smoke and Purifiers

• When smoke rolls in, stay inside with windows closed. Skip vacuuming, candles, frying and gas appliances, and dust with a damp cloth.(Wisconsin DNR)(Wisconsin DHS)
• Furnace filter: use MERV 13 or the highest your system can take. It only cleans while the fan runs, often under a quarter of the time, so set the fan to "on" during smoke events.(EPA)
• Portable air cleaner: size it by its clean air delivery rate (CADR), and look at the smoke number. For 8-foot ceilings: 65 for a 100 sq ft room, 130 for 200, 195 for 300, 260 for 400, 325 for 500, 390 for 600.(EPA)
• A box-fan filter works too: tape a 20-by-20-inch MERV 13 filter to a box fan made in 2012 or later, which has safety cutoffs.(EPA)
• Avoid ozone generators and anything that makes ozone on purpose. No federal agency has approved them for occupied rooms, and at safe levels ozone does little to clean the air.(EPA)(Wisconsin DHS)

Carbon Monoxide

• The law: in a one- or two-family home, the owner must put a working CO alarm in the basement and on every floor except the attic, garage and storage areas. Homes with no attached garage, no fireplace and no fuel-burning appliance are exempt.(Wis. Stat. 101.647) It applies to homes of any age.(Wis. Admin. Code SPS 328)(DSPS)
• Fuel-burning appliances include gas stoves, dryers, furnaces, boilers, water heaters, fireplaces and heaters.(Wis. Admin. Code SPS 321) Combination smoke and CO alarms are allowed, and hardwired CO alarms need battery backup.(Wis. Stat. 101.647)
• Homes permitted on or after February 1, 2011 need hardwired, interconnected CO alarms outside sleeping areas, within 21 feet of each bedroom door.(Wis. Admin. Code SPS 321)
• The owner installs the alarms; the occupant maintains them. A landlord has 5 days to fix one after written notice.(Wis. Stat. 101.647)
• Placement: Madison Fire says each level and near bedrooms, at least 15 feet from major gas appliances; height on the wall doesn't matter.(Madison Fire)
• Symptoms feel like the flu: headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, chest pain, confusion.(CDC) About 500 people in Wisconsin go to the ER for carbon monoxide each year.(Wisconsin DHS)
• When the alarm sounds: Madison Fire says if anyone has symptoms, get out and call 911; if no one does, turn off gas appliances, open windows and call MGE or a heating contractor.(Madison Fire) MGE: 608-252-7000; a technician visit will probably cost something.(MGE) Wisconsin DHS's advice is simpler: get everyone out and call the fire department.(Wisconsin DHS)
• Alarm life: follow the date on your alarm. Kidde says 7 to 10 years by model,(Kidde) First Alert says most last 5 to 7,(First Alert) and DHS says every five years or per the manufacturer.(Wisconsin DHS)
• Never run a generator within 20 feet of the house, or a car in a closed garage. Have the furnace or wood stove checked every year.(Wisconsin DHS)

Smoke Alarms

• State law: a working smoke alarm in the basement and on every floor except attics and storage areas. The occupant maintains them; a landlord has 5 days to fix one after written notice.(Wis. Stat. 101.645)
• New homes need an alarm in each bedroom, one within 21 feet outside the bedrooms, and one on every other floor, all hardwired with battery backup and interconnected.(Wis. Admin. Code SPS 321)
• In Madison, the city's ordinance covers every home, including owner-occupied houses: alarms in each bedroom, within 6 feet of each bedroom door and on each floor, either hardwired with battery backup or with a sealed 10-year battery. No alarm can stay in service more than 10 years.(City of Madison) An alarm running only on a 9-volt battery no longer meets Madison code.(Madison Fire) Madison landlords give tenants fire safety information with each lease, and tenants test alarms monthly.(Madison Fire)
• Placement: on a wall, 4 to 12 inches below the ceiling; on a ceiling, at least 4 inches from the wall. Keep them out of kitchens, bathrooms, garages and attics.(Madison Fire)
• Care: test monthly, change 9-volt batteries at least yearly, and replace the alarm 10 years from its manufacture date. USFA recommends both ionization and photoelectric sensing, or dual-sensor alarms.(U.S. Fire Administration)
• Chirping: Kidde alarms chirp every 30 to 40 seconds for a low battery; a sealed-battery unit chirping every 30 seconds needs replacing.(Kidde) Madison Fire says a single chirp usually means end of life; three beeps is smoke and four on a combination unit is CO. Check the beep guide on the back.(Madison Fire)
• Madison's recycling sites don't take smoke alarms.(Madison Fire) For free alarms, ask Madison Fire's community education line, 608-261-9844; its last free-install event found was in 2023.

Mold

• Fix the water first. Dry anything wet within 24 to 48 hours, and keep indoor humidity below 60%, ideally 30 to 50%.(EPA)
• An area under about 10 square feet you can usually clean yourself.(EPA) People with asthma, breathing problems or weak immune systems shouldn't do it.(PHMDC) Never mix bleach with ammonia.(Wisconsin DHS)
• Testing usually isn't needed: if you can see or smell it, you have mold, and there are no federal limits to test against.(EPA)(CDC)(Wisconsin DHS)
• "Black mold": CDC says all molds should be treated the same, and DHS calls "toxic mold" a misleading term.(CDC)(Wisconsin DHS)
• Hiring help: Wisconsin doesn't license or certify mold contractors. Report anyone claiming to be "state certified" to DATCP, 800-422-7128.(Wisconsin DHS) DHS doesn't recommend ozone generators for mold.(Wisconsin DHS)
• Renters whose landlord won't act can call Public Health Madison & Dane County, 608-242-6515.(PHMDC) Radon has its own guide.

Asbestos and Vermiculite

• In older homes, asbestos can be in vermiculite insulation, vinyl floor tiles and their adhesive, roofing and siding shingles, textured wall and ceiling coatings, pipe insulation and more.(EPA) You usually can't tell by looking.(EPA)
• Material that isn't damaged and won't be disturbed doesn't need testing. Test before remodeling or if it's damaged, and don't take samples yourself. Use separate companies for testing and removal.(EPA) Labs should be accredited through NIST's program.(EPA)
• Wisconsin rules: state asbestos certification doesn't apply to owners working on their own single-family home, except that only a certified company may remove vermiculite.(Wisconsin DHS) A single house is also exempt from DNR's inspection and notice rules unless it's part of a bigger project.(Wisconsin DNR)
• Check a company against DHS's certified asbestos company list, updated monthly.(Wisconsin DHS) Report unsafe work to DHS, 608-261-6876.(Wisconsin DHS)
• Vermiculite is pebbly, gray-brown or silver-gold pour-in attic insulation, often sold as Zonolite. Most U.S. vermiculite came from an asbestos-contaminated mine in Libby, Montana, so EPA says assume yours did. Don't disturb it, store things in that attic or remove it yourself.(EPA)

Lead Paint

• Homes built before 1978 likely have some lead paint; paint in good shape is usually not a problem.(EPA) DHS estimates 350,000 Wisconsin homes have lead paint hazards.(Wisconsin DHS)
• Hiring work: in a pre-1978 home, a contractor disturbing more than 6 square feet per room inside or 20 outside, replacing any window, or demolishing must be a certified lead-safe renovator.(Wisconsin DHS) Window replacements count even if the old windows are vinyl.(Wisconsin DHS) Check the certified lead company list.(Wisconsin DHS)
• Doing it yourself: the state rule doesn't apply in a home only your immediate family lives in, with no rented space and no child with a high blood lead level.(Wisconsin DHS) EPA still says not to remove lead paint yourself.(EPA)
• DHS's Lead-Safe Homes Program helps income-eligible owners and landlords pay for repairs.(Wisconsin DHS) Lead in water is covered in the tap water guide.

Dryer Vents

• Not cleaning was the leading factor in home dryer fires, 31% of them in 2018–2020.(U.S. Fire Administration)
• Clean the lint screen every load. If clothes take longer to dry, the screen or duct may be blocked. Clean the duct periodically and check that air blows out the outside vent while the dryer runs.(CPSC)
• Replace plastic or foil accordion duct with rigid or semi-rigid metal.(CPSC)

Questions

Where can I check Madison's air quality right now?

AirNow, EPA's air quality site, shows Madison's current reading; the dial at the top of this page comes from it. Wisconsin DNR runs two monitors in Madison, on Hoard Street and University Avenue, and posts statewide readings at airquality.wi.gov.

Where do carbon monoxide detectors have to go in Wisconsin?

In the basement and on every floor level except the attic, garage and storage areas, in any one- or two-family home with a fuel-burning appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage. That applies to older homes too. Homes permitted since February 1, 2011 need hardwired, interconnected CO alarms within 21 feet of each bedroom door.

What are Madison's smoke alarm rules?

Madison's ordinance covers every home, including owner-occupied houses. Alarms go in each bedroom, within 6 feet of each bedroom door and on each floor. They must be hardwired with battery backup or have a sealed 10-year battery, and none can stay in service more than 10 years. An alarm running only on a 9-volt battery no longer meets Madison code.

Why is my smoke detector chirping?

Usually a low battery or an alarm at the end of its life. Kidde alarms chirp every 30 to 40 seconds for a low battery, and sealed-battery units chirp every 30 seconds when it's time to replace the whole alarm. Patterns vary by brand, so check the guide printed on the back.

Should I test for mold?

Usually not. EPA, CDC and Wisconsin DHS all say that if you can see or smell mold, you have it and testing doesn't change what to do: fix the moisture and clean it up. Areas under about 10 square feet you can usually clean yourself.

Can I remove asbestos myself in Wisconsin?

State asbestos certification rules don't apply to owners working on their own single-family home, with one exception: only a certified company may remove vermiculite attic insulation. EPA advises against sampling or removing suspect material yourself and says to leave undamaged material alone.